


It's Only Ever Been You

by whitewolfandthefox



Series: Jaskier x Reader One Shots [3]
Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski
Genre: Angst, F/M, Fluff, Major Injury, Soft Geralt, Soft Jaskier, asshole Jaskier
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-02-28 23:33:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23405332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/whitewolfandthefox/pseuds/whitewolfandthefox
Summary: You had been travelling with Jaskier and Geralt for some time now. At some point, you weren’t sure when, you had fallen hopelessly in love with the bard, but he didn’t return your feelings. You had to make a decision, you just weren’t sure what it was yet.
Relationships: Jaskier | Dandelion/Reader
Series: Jaskier x Reader One Shots [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658923
Comments: 2
Kudos: 46





	It's Only Ever Been You

It was supposed to be the day you were finally free of him. You had talked to Geralt, he had known about your feelings for a while after you had gotten drunk one night and poured your heart out to him. Ever since, he had been trying to leave you and Jaskier alone as much as possible, but the oblivious idiot that he was, the bard hadn’t picked up on what you were trying to do. It broke your heart every time he went to bed with another woman, you would mope around until Geralt finally took it upon himself to distract you.

You began learning swordwork, impromptu lessons that had started as an attempt to distract you on Geralt’s part had quickly turned into daily sessions, working on your strength and your technique. Although you weren’t nearly as good as Geralt, you had gotten to the point where you could hold your own and Geralt started trusting you to help him on easier hunts. Geralt had even bought you your own sword so you would have one that was made to your specifications. You were thrilled at this, of course, but crestfallen that Jaskier seemed to lose even more interest in talking to you once you started. You tried telling him about how the lessons went at the end of the day, but he would just brush you off and go find someone else to talk to after his set.

Geralt would try to comfort you but it was no use. Jaskier wouldn’t even talk to you at this point, he would just send you glares from across the room. You were distraught, you had no idea what you had done to deserve this treatment. That night saw you and Geralt sat at a table in the back of the inn while Jaskier performed for the crowd. You were crushed, the bard hadn’t said a word to you all day. Geralt had supplied you with a steady stream of ale that evening, getting you progressively more drunk as the evening progressed.

“I think I need to leave, Geralt.” The man you were addressing looked at you with sad eyes. “I can’t stay here, it hurts too much.” You wouldn’t look up at him, tears dripping down your face as you stared into your mug. It was true, you couldn’t stay. Being ignored by the man you loved and watching him fall into a different bed every night was too much. You didn’t know how much longer you could survive this.

A hand rested on top of yours, causing you to glance up. “Are you sure? I can always knock some sense into the idiot,” Geralt rumbled, sending a sharp glance Jaskier’s way. The bard was oblivious, playing to the inn, enjoying himself the whole while, completely ignorant to the raging torrent of emotion that was you.

Geralt’s remark drew a short laugh from you, which quickly turned into a sob. Your chest squeezed as the bard grinned brightly at his captive audience. You shook your head. “I fear there is nothing to be done. I will travel with you to the next town, finish the contract we took, but after that I will depart. Maybe I can sell my services as a guard.” You squeezed Geralt’s hand. “Thank you, my darling Witcher, for everything you have done for me.”

Geralt grunted, again making you laugh tearfully. You knew he wouldn’t reply, he was still uncomfortable with showing what he was feeling, although he had become more open with you. Standing, you sent one more gland in Jaskier’s direction before gathering your gear off of the bench from where you had set it. “I am going to bed, Geralt, I hope you have a peaceful rest of your night.”

You smiled softly as his brusque nod, accompanied by a quiet “good night,” turning towards the stairs and making your way to your room. You missed Jaskier’s eyes following you across the room as you disappeared down the hallway. Reaching your room, you quickly stripped, washing yourself before you retired to your bed, falling asleep with tears drying on your cheeks.

Your dreams were disturbed that night, tossing and turning, seeing Jaskier and Geralt struck down as you slept. You remember crying out at one point before feeling a soft hand brushing your cheek as lips pressed against your forehead, the presence soothing you. You quieted after that, content in the feeling of security that wrapped around you, brought by the presence in the room. 

You woke early the next morning to see Jaskier still asleep in the other bed and Geralt missing from the room. You dressed quietly before venturing downstairs, seeking out the other man in your party. You found him at a table, a plate of food in front of him. As you sat next to him, the innkeep appeared with another plate, which he set down in front of you. Startled, you thanked him before turning to Geralt who’s lips had quirked upwards. You scoffed and nudged him gently. “I can pay for my own food, thank you very much.”

Geralt didn’t acknowledge you, continuing to eat in silence. You shook your head at him, before focusing on your own food. Geralt had started on his second plate by the time you finished your first, just in time to see Jaskier stumble down the stairs. Mask falling into place, you stood as you gathered your plate. “If you will excuse me, I’m going to go pack my gear.”

You headed for the bar with your dishes, avoiding the bard’s path as he approached Geralt’s table before making your way back to your room. You could hear Jaskier’s voice behind you, “What’s her problem this morning?”

You stopped, hand against your chest as his question pierced your chest, heart clenching at the dismissive tone Jaskier had used. A tear leaked out of your eye as you forced yourself to your room, falling to your knees as you suppressed a sob. You crumpled in on yourself, a flood of emotion finally releasing after you had held it back for such a long time. You quieted after a while, wiping your tears as you heard footsteps coming down the hall.

You kept your back to the door, sorting the things in your room into two piles: a pile for you and a second pile for Geralt and Jaskier. The door opened behind you, the footsteps coming into the room before stopping. It was Jaskier, you wouldn’t have heard Geralt, he made sure to tread lightly, a fact you still couldn’t reconcile with the hulk of a man.

“What are you doing?” The question was shrill, as if Jaskier couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Keeping your back to him, you responded. “I’m sorting our things, you and Geralt will go into one bag and my stuff into another.”

Jaskier approached you. “But why? We’ve never sorted our clothes before, everything’s just always gone in together. If you separate them we will have to bring two bags up, Y/N, not just one. You really should just put everything into the same bag.”

His footsteps came closer, hand appearing in your vision as he reached for one of your shirts to put in with his and Geralt’s things. You snatched the shirt back, stuffing it into your own bag. “I’m leaving Jask, that’s why I’m sorting my clothes! After Geralt and I finish this contract, I’m going off on my own!” You turned to look at the bard, frozen with a look of disbelief on his face.

“You’re - you’re leaving? Just like that?” Jaskier seemed stunned.

“Yes, I’m leaving. I talked to Geralt, and I’m leaving to find my own job. This just isn’t going to work.”

At your words, his face shuttered. “Okay.”

You stood, facing him. “Okay? Just okay? That’s all you have to say?”

“What do you want me to say, Y/N? You’ve obviously made up your mind. Besides, it’ll be one less person to feed. Good luck finding a new job.” With that, Jaskier turned and walked to the door, shutting it hard behind him.

As the door shut, your heart shattered, knees collapsing beneath you as you fell, sobs ripping their way out of you, tears cascading down your face. You curled into a ball on the floor as you gasped for breath, desperate for anything to stop the pain that you were feeling in that moment. That’s where Geralt found you, lying on the floor, curled up with a blanket that Jaskier often slept with when you camped outside. He came to sit by your head, stroking your hair as you sobbed, pulling you into his lap as he leaned you against his chest. 

“Shh,” he murmured, “Just let it out.” He rocked you gently, shushing you as you cried yourself out again. Silently, you pushed against him in a silent ask to be released, going back to sorting your things when he did. Geralt helped you, the two of you content in the silence. Once finished, you gave him a soft, sad smile in thanks. Geralt nodded, understanding your wordless gratitude before leading you to saddle the horses.

Your bay mare knickered when she saw you, bringing a gentle smile to your face. You saddled the horses and secured your belongings in silence, sneaking an extra apple to Roach when Geralt wasn’t looking. You mounted as Jaskier appeared, leading your horse out of the stables as Geralt and Jaskier held a quiet conversation. You refused to look at the smaller man, staying on your horse when you normally would walk alongside her in order to attempt to converse with the bard. 

The three of you travelled in an uncomfortable silence, not even Jaskier daring to break the quiet with a song or a poem. It was agonizing. You longed to hear the bard’s sweet voice raised in song, breaking the heavy silence that had settled over you. Even the horses were somber, picking up on their masters’ moods.

You left Jaskier with the horses as you and Geralt went to deal with the monster. You pretended it didn’t hurt when Jaskier wished Geralt luck, but didn’t say anything to you. You ignored the look you received from the Witcher at that, leading the way into the forest as you buried your feelings deep within you.

The hunt was a disaster. The two of you had missed the creature’s partner as you had approached its lair, resulting in you being grabbed and flug against the side of the brick house. You had watched, stunned, as the second creature had leapt onto Geralt’s back, opening a gash in his armour before you had forced yourself up, slashing to force the creature off. The pair of you killed the monsters but didn’t come out unscathed. Geralt’s shoulder was bruised but healing quickly and you had received a laceration down your dominant arm, forcing you to use your weaker sword hand to finish the fight. 

Back at the horses Geralt had quickly bound your arm, settling it in a sling until the skin set. Jaskier had stayed slumped against a tree, studiously ignoring the both of you as he glared at the ground. Making your way back to the main path, your group of three turned towards the next town to collect your payment, the head of one of the creatures in a sack attached to your horse. Jaskier hadn’t looked you in the eyes yet. 

As you rode, you could feel your arm itching, but you brushed it off. The sooner you could collect the coin for the monster, the sooner you could leave all of this behind. You rode behind Geralt, pausing when you saw him stiffen in his saddle. 

“Geralt?” you called, loosening your sword in its sheath as you saw the man in front of you do the same. Jaskier doddled up behind the two of you, oblivious to the tension in the air. Geralt nudged Roach to back up until he was side by side with you. In a low voice, he told you, “I can hear and smell men in the bushes just ahead of us. If my guess is right, they are waiting to claim the monster head so they can collect the coin.”

You shifted, tightening your armour and checking the bandage on your arm once more. “What do you want to do? Make a run for it? I don’t know that the horses will be fast enough if I have to carry Jask.”

“You’re not carrying me, I can walk.” Jaskier protested from behind the two of you.

“Shut up, Jaskier,” Geralt interrupted without looking back. You tuned out Jaskier’s words as he spluttered behind you, focusing instead on trying to catch a glimpse of the men waiting for you. As he spoke, the trees rustled and a band of men stepped forward, clothed in shabby armour with old weapons. “Not a very intimidating group, are they?” Geralt rumbled.

Your lips quirked at that, but you were more focused on studying the group, trying to decide the best plan of attack. Your thoughts were interrupted as one of the men stepped forward, brandishing his sword at you. You hid a smile as he almost dropped his weapon, grip slipping as he tried to intimidate your small group. Jaskier squeaked and stepped behind your horses while you nudged yours forward a step in response. “Witcher,” the man called. “Just give us yer prize and we’ll let yer group on their way, no trouble.”

Geralt didn’t respond, face remaining blank,, the men shifting on their feet at the drawn out silence. As the man who had spoken originally opened his mouth to say something else, Geralt finally spoke.

“And if I don’t want to?”

“Don’t want ta what?” The man appeared confused. You could hear Jaskier sigh behind it as he muttered under his breath. Geralt nudged Roach forward a few steps, your own horse following instinctively, Jaskier scrambling to keep up.

“What if I don’t want to give you my prize?” As he said this, Geralt’s hand drifted up to the hilt of his sword as you placed your own hand on the hilt at your hip. The men behind him shifted, muttering amongst themselves as the Witcher slowly drew his sword.

The man in front blanched, clearly having not considered the possibility that the Witcher wouldn’t just hand over his prize. They must have assumed that their larger numbers would have kept the man from fighting back. You watched as the surprise, disbelief, and many other emotions that flew across the man’s face slowly turned to anger and determination.

“Well, if ya won’t jus’ giv’ it to us, I guesses we has ta just take it then!” With that, he thrust his sword into the air with a cry before charging at your group with his sword held in two hands above his head, the rest of the men following behind. You swung down from your horse, turning her and sending her away with a sharp hand gesture, Roach following quickly behind her. You drew your sword, turning to face the approaching men as Geralt shoved Jaskier behind him, shouting at the bard to get to safety.

You swung your sword to meet the first blow, the man’s face turning to shock as the woman he thought would be an easy target met him with strength behind her sword. You quickly shoved him back, pulling your sword across your body to thrust towards his chest, catching him in the middle before leaning and kicking him away, turning to catch the next weapon swinging down at you. A shock went through your arm, travelling all the way up to your shoulder. The itching feeling had started burning, a low, dull throb that grated at your concentration. You switched your sword to your non-dominant hand as you engaged the man who had just attacked you.

A feral grin appeared on your face as the man yelled and rushed you, hoping to overcome you with brute strength. You sidestepped his headlong rush, slashing across his back as he passed you, the man falling to the ground with a cry. You quickly engaged and incapacitated a third man, pausing to survey the scene. Geralt was holding his own, toying with the two men attacking him surrounded by the bodies of the other two men he had taken down.

You spun as you heard Jaskier scream, the smile dropping from your face as you took in the sight of the bard backing towards you as another man stalked towards him, sword held loose in his grip. You didn’t even think, your body moving before your mind finished processing what was happening. You shoved Jaskier out of the way, desperately bringing your sword up to knock the blow away.

You made contact with the man’s weapon, but not fast enough, the point plunging into your shoulder, a cry forced from your lips at the wave of pain. You stepped back, head thrown back in a silent cry as the blade slid out of your skin before your own blade came back up, catching the man unawares as you opened a long laceration on his upper arm. He frantically backpedaled, wildly swinging at you as he went. You knocked his sword away, distantly hearing Jaskier cry your name as you advanced on the bandit. As he thrust at you, you knocked his sword down, stepping on the blade as it went past you, forcing the man to bend as you brought your sword up before bringing the hilt down as hard as you could on his head. The man instantly collapsed the ground, leaving you to stagger away.

You dropped your sword as your hand went numb, the burning travelling up your shoulder into your chest. You grasped at your chest, gasping for breath as you felt your legs give out beneath you. As you fell, you felt your body caught, arms pulling you into a lap, Jaskier’s face appearing above you. As the world started to spin, you smiled up at him, trying to reach up to touch his face before frowning at the tears on his face. He was talking, you could hear his mouth moving but no words coming out. You blinked as he shook you, sound suddenly reaching you.

“-idiotic, stupid thing to do, why would you get in the way? Why would you do that, you reckless girl. I won’t be able to live with myself if you die, you can’t die,  _ I can’t lose you _ .” He looked so sad, you wanted to say something to cheer him up, to make him know that this was okay. 

Again, you tried to brush the tears from his face, your hand falling back to your body as you tried to lift it. Jaskier grasped your wrist, lifting your fingers to his mouth as he pressed a kiss against them. You smiled softly, head lolling to rest against his chest, Geralt appearing on your other side.

“What happened?” he demanded, falling to his knees next to you. 

“I don’t know,” Jaskier cried. “She pushed me out of the way and got stabbed in the shoulder but kept going. She wasn’t doing anything when she collapsed, and she hasn’t said anything! Geralt, I don’t know what to do!”

The Witcher acknowledged this with a terse nod, reaching for the wrist Jaskier wasn’t holding to check your pulse. You cried out as he pulled your arm towards him, the burning increasing at the action. Geralt and Jaskier shared a glance over your head before he was reaching for his dagger to slice your bandages and shirt away. You heard an intake of breath as the fabric fell away, struggling to turn your head to look. You caught a glimpse of it before Jaskier caught your head and pressed it back against his chest as a sob tore its way out of your lips. 

Your arm was red, the wound swollen with black lines running up to your shoulder and under your shirt. Jaskier held you as your body shook, Geralt inspecting your arm. He looked at the bard, somber expression on his face. “The monster must have been venomous, we need to get her to a healer.”

You sighed as you closed your eyes, mumbling against Jaskier’s shirt. “I’m sorry.”

He looked down at you, brow furrowed with worry. “For what, you have nothing to be sorry for. You just need to stay awake, can you do that for me Y/N?”

You nodded tiredly as he tapped your face, opening your eyes at his silent request. “I got blood on your shirt.”

Jaskier barked out a hysterical laugh, “That’s the least of my worries right now.” His face fell as your head lolled over to look at Geralt. The larger man looked up from where he was rebandaging your arm after applying a healing salve, nodding at your unspoken request. “You need to stay awake, please.” Jaskier’s voice was pleading with you as you almost lost yourself to the haze.

Turning your head back, you lifted your eyes to his face, taking in the features that you loved, trying to memorize them once more before you gave in to the darkness. A small smile graced your face, eyes drifting shut as you breathed out the three words you had longed to tell him. 

“I love you.”

The last thing you saw before the world went black was Jaskier’s frantic face, his lips moving in a desperate plea for you to stay awake as your eyes closed and your head fell to the side as you fell into the darkness.

**~*~*~*~**

You groaned as you came to awareness, whole body sore when you tried to move. You rolled your head to the side, opening your eyes before immediately closing them against the bright light. You heard movement next to you.

“Y/N? Oh thank god, Y/N! You’re awake!” It was Jaskier’s voice, the bed dipping as he sat down next to you, taking your uninjured hand. “C’mon darling, open your eyes for me.”

You cracked your eyes, seeing the bard next to you, face drawn and dark circles under his eyes. You tried to speak, coughing at the dryness in your throat, Jaskier frantically reaching for the cup next to your bed. He helped you sit up, propping some pillows behind you as he helped you take a sip. Once your thirst was quenched, you tried again. “What happened?”

Jaskier’s face grew grave. “You don’t remember?” As you shook your head, he drew a hand down his face. “You were injured, the monster you fought was toxic, and when the bandits tried to ambush us, your accelerated heart rate forced the venom through your system faster and you collapsed.”

You winced as the memories came back, jogged by Jaskier’s words. You remembered the burning pain, as well as what you said to the bard before you passed out. The man in question was watching your face closely, looking for something in particular. He seemed to find it, grinning as he sat back on the bed.

“You do remember, then.” You flushed at his words, fingers pulling at the blanket, refusing to meet his eyes. You felt a gentle hand under your chin, guiding your face to look at his. A soft expression was on his face, a smile tugging at his lips. “I do as well, if that’s any consolation.”

You gaped at him. “You do as in you remember or you do as in you-” you cut yourself off, to afraid to finish your sentence as you once again glanced away. His fingers once again found your chin, gently tugging you back to face him as he leaned in. You breath hitched at the proximity between you two, your eyes frantically searching his face as he searched yours.

Seeming to find what he was looking for, he closed the distance, gently pressing his lips against yours. You startled, eyes widening before they shut as you kissed him back, reaching with your uninjured arm to hold his bicep. The kiss was sweet and gentle, just long enough to leave you breathless, tired as you still were. Jaskier smirked at you, clearly pleased with your reaction. You swatted at him.

“But, I don’t understand, all of those women? They meant, nothing?” you hesitated, flicking short glances at his face. His expression went tight before he sighed, face falling. 

“It was only ever you. I was trying to distract myself,” he glanced up at you, eyes sad. “I saw you spending all of your time with Geralt, and I thought that maybe, you two had…” he trailed off as he saw the smile appearing on your face. “What? This isn’t funny!”

You giggled at his offended expression before rushing to explain as he pretended to withdraw his hand. “Geralt started teaching me as a way to cheer me up, he knew that I… loved… you, and wanted to distract me when you would leave. Eventually it turned into real lessons once I discovered I was fairly good at it.”

You waited as a small smile grew on his face before he started chuckling, you following along as it turned into a full blown laugh, Jaskier hunching over on the bed as his laughter shook his body. He finally recovered, wiping his tears away as you watched him with a soft smile. “All this time and we couldn’t see it. I was trying to flirt with you since we met, but you always seemed to show no interest.”

You gaped at him as he grinned, “I thought you just did that with everyone! I didn’t know it wasn’t in jest!”

Chuckling again, he stood and nudged you, helping you shuffle over to the other side of the bed you were laying in, climbing in after you. You snuggled under his arm as he pulled you in close, tucking your head under his chin, careful not to jostle your injured arm and shoulder. He pressed a kiss against your head, nosing your hair as he murmured. “I love you too.”

You stilled at that, looking up at him with shining eyes. He leaned down, gently pressing a kiss against your lips before pulling you back to him. “Sleep, my love. We have all the time in the world.”

You nestled in further, content in his warm embrace and the knowledge that he loved you. Your eyes slowly closed as Jaskier started humming a sweet tune above you, lulling you into a comfortable sleep, safe in his arms. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are much appreciated! Come yell at me on tumblr @ stretchkingblog97


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